My coffee station cabinet/pantry cupboard reveal

According to Pinterest, at-home coffee stations and coffee bar styling are top trends for 2024. It seems we all want to be a barista at home and elevate that most simplest of moments – making ourselves that first, much-needed cup of the day.

I’m a bit of a coffee addict and I can’t do anything before having a cup of coffee, not even a shower (and please don’t even try to talk to me…). I have a big bean-to-cup machine, which I adore, but it’s not the most elegant thing in the world. Without the space for a full utility room, I wanted to create a small pantry-like cupboard where I could hide away my coffee machine and other bulky appliances, such as the toaster and slow cooker.

You can never have too much storage either. When I was conceiving the extension space, I designed a section of storage in the middle of two routeways, so that it could hide away the washing machine alongside hallway storage for coats and shoes on one side, with a pantry cupboard and kitchen storage on the other side (you can get a better idea of the plan in this post). I got my builders to make it out of MDF with sturdy plywood drawers and shelves, then I painted it myself using Little Greene’s ASP primer (two coats) then their Portland Stone Pale and Sage Green Intelligent Eggshell paints (three coats). And here’s the result!

I wanted there to be a contrast between the interior and exterior of the coffee station cabinet. When the cupboard is closed, the joinery blends into the background, painted as it is in the same colour as the walls (Portland Stone Pale). Then when you open it, you get a little surprise of deep colour from the rich sage green.

This green tone runs right through the house, from the back of the front doors, up the painted stairs, to the bathroom tiles, the downstairs loo, the cushions on the sofa and even the garden bench outside. It’s a cohesive thread that helps tie everything together. I had some paint leftover from doing the stairs so thought I would use it up and here we are. I think it suits the black appliances and complements the wood of the plywood, which I’ve left bare to add texture and warmth (I will oil it with some Osmo raw oil when I get a moment).

I’ve just painted the plywood worktop now, for ease, but I’m thinking of adding a linoleum top to make it a little more hardwearing. I wouldn’t recommend a wooden worktop for your main kitchen area as it can get a lot of wear and tear from water damage. I did originally want a terrazzo worktop, but as often with these projects, I ran out of budget! And indeed, energy… A quick paint job has completely transformed this cabinet and made it much more part of the kitchen and dining area.

The builders also made the bi-fold doors, which open with push openers. There is an LED light strip which turns on automatically when you open the doors too. I’ve turned it off for the photos as the glare wasn’t coming out very well on the camera!

There’s not much worktop space in the kitchen itself so by putting all the appliances away, out of sight, it frees up much more preparation space when I’m cooking. I think there’s a trend now for kitchens that don’t look too much like a kitchen; in the sense that appliances are built-in, there’s wooden cabinetry that makes the kitchen look like a bespoke piece of joinery or furniture, hidden extractor fans, handleless doors and minimalist features. I suppose it’s a bit like the desire to conceal the TV, whether with a Frame TV that looks like a piece of art or joinery that covers it when it’s not in use.

I like that I don’t have to see the appliances all the time now, but only when I need them. The coffee station cabinet frees up more space on the worktop for pretty things, such as beautiful chopping boards, cookbooks and nice hand soap. And it makes those moments when I do make a coffee more like a ritual. I take the time to open the doors, select my favourite mug and wait for the coffee to brew while I look at the garden outside. It’s one of my favourite times of the day.

 
All images Cate St Hill